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Merissa (14160 KP) rated Fractured Moon (Aurelia Fridell #1) in Books

Apr 6, 2023 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)  
Fractured Moon (Aurelia Fridell #1)
Fractured Moon (Aurelia Fridell #1)
Ryanne Hawk, E.R. Pierce | 2015 | Erotica, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I love me a Paranormal Romance book - especially when I love the way it's written, get pulled into the storyline, drool over the Alpha male and laugh out loud. All of this happened with this book.
 
There are loads of things that I enjoyed about this book, I could go on and on, but one of the things that I will mention is the fact that Ceithin is a bit of an ass at the start. Yes, he's attracted to Aurelia but he's with someone else. Someone else who has a superiority complex and lays into Aurelia whilst Ceithin stands by and does nothing. Not good! However, he does make up for it and quickly wormed his way under my skin, pretty much the same as he did for Aurelia. I loved her reactions to it all though - completely honest!
 
The storyline kept my interest although at one point I had almost forgotten that she had had 'trouble' as I was concentrating so much on their burgeoning relationship. Well developed storyline, brilliant characters and anyone who can quote a Tairen Soul line is excellent by me! Looking forward to reading Ceithin's novella and more in this series in the (hopefully) near future.
 
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
 
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
August 25, 2016
  
17 Marigold Lane (Prudence Penderhaus #1)
17 Marigold Lane (Prudence Penderhaus #1)
R.M. Gilmore | 2015 | Mystery, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book starts with a seventeen-year-old girl coming to terms with the fact she's dying. Now going on from that, you would expect this book to full of doom and gloom. Instead, it is funny and heartbreaking at the same time. Prudence makes a decision to do something that she has never dared to before, based on the fact of 'what does it matter now anyway?' What follows on is a mystery story that will keep you intrigued and engrossed as you turn the pages. The slowly developing relationship between our two main characters was fantastic to read about.

One of the things that makes this book so superb is that our Main Male is on the spectrum. Now it's not clearly defined in there, but you do know he is highly functioning and his life could have been 'normal' if he'd been given the right circumstances. I loved Cass and his 'quirks' and definitely want to read more about him.

Well written and with a smooth pace, and well-rounded, developed characters. There were no grammatical errors that I found. This is the first book in a series and it does come with a cliffhanger ending. I honestly can't wait to read more. Highly recommended!

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
 
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 18, 2015
  
Stone Heart (The Compelled Chronicles #1)
Stone Heart (The Compelled Chronicles #1)
Dean Murray | 2015 | Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the first of the Compelled Chronicles and it starts with a bang! Dani is starting a new school and although she is nervous, it is not because of the usual new school reasons. The reason Dani is nervous is because she seems to have this ability that draws members of the opposite sex to her, before either making them head for the hills or become a stalker. She has no idea what's going on or why this happens, but she has learned how to live with it. The first boy she meets, Caine, seems immune to her 'charms' and Dani hopes that she has found herself the first male friend she has had in a long time. However, meeting Caine is something that starts off her journey into the unknown where she will have to fight the paranormal, and her life will be threatened simply 'because'.

This is a gripping and thrilling first instalment that ends on an amazing cliffhanger! Full of mystery and action, you are left with questions unanswered. I won't put the questions out here, you'll need to read the book for yourself, but I will say that you will immediately want to know more. Excellent start and definitely recommended.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 26, 2015
  
Luck of the Draw
Luck of the Draw
Addison Albright | 2023 | LGBTQ+, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
LUCK OF THE DRAW is a light fantasy novella about warring kingdoms and arranged marriages to help seal the peace treaty. Obren is happy with male or female partners, but when he finds out who he is to marry, he has reservations. After all, he did kill the prince's previous partner on the battlefield! But it was war and maybe Dukan has his own secrets.

This was a great read that I read in one sitting. The characters were well-fleshed out given it was a novella, and the world-building made complete sense. I was happy with how the arranged marriages worked out as no one felt forced apart from the situation. Obren and Dukan, obviously, were my favourites and I loved the interplay between them as they took the time to learn about each other.

I would love to return to this world and learn more about the marriages and the kingdoms they live in. And if we managed to catch up with Obren and Dukan, then so much the better!

A brilliant novella that I thoroughly enjoyed, although I would have obviously loved it to be longer! A great read and definitely recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 24, 2023
  
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Amy (7 KP) rated Goddess of Troy in Books

Jan 17, 2018 (Updated Jan 17, 2018)  
GO
Goddess of Troy
P.C. Cast | 2008 | Erotica, Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)
1
1.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Nice premise. Interesting characters profiles. Some lovely vivid description. (0 more)
Everything Else. (0 more)
Terrible. Total destruction.
Contains spoilers, click to show
The premise is one that P.C. Cast recycles throughout her work which is of taking modern women and dropping them into the worlds of myth and magic.
A brilliant idea, occasionally well done in her other novels...not unfortunately for this one.
The problem begins with the plot the goddesses send the women back to end the war...okay, but why not do it themselves? The flimsy excuses just don't hold up. The plot is weakly manipulated and transparently executed to make the neccessity of the modern women going back possible.
Problem 2-is the blatant racism of making the indipendant modern black woman into a white slave girl.
Problem 3- problematic sex scenes which read as thinly disguised rape scenes. A male character is hypnotises and the main female character has sex with him....this is made okay by him giving her consent afterwards. Which is not how consent works. This book being intended for young women just becoming sexual is at best concerning and at most incredibly damaging whilst promoting male rape under the guise of female empowerment.
The dialogue when more old fashioned from the warriors is charming and engaging...from the modern women we are forced to deal with censored cringy curse words, way too much teenage level gossip, and not a smidge of maturity in sight...from grown ass women.
For thirty plus successful women the character profiles should have engaged and fascinated, unfortunately those profiles were ignored during in-story application and replaced with twittering, childish teens who giggle over the word penis and lose their minds over the most vacuous and senseless things.
The plot centres around a boring, romance, and changes the original relationship of Achilles and Patroclus from its canonical implied romance to one of cousins...this at best is a misguided deviation from the canonical Iliad relationship they had.
It could easily be read as a blatant attack and hideous misuse of the original content, that could given the sheer overwhelming heteronormaty we are forced to endure be at its worst an erasure of rare LGBT representation from historical content.
The relationships are forced, and their happy endings so saccharine it hurts to read.
The siege of Troy is horrifically rewritten to make the main female lead the deciding factor that ensured victory and removed nearly all canonical battle events.
Throughout the novel not much happens, and by time something does you just want the novel over with.
It doesn't read as mythology inspired, the myths and characters are used as cheap prop and staging whilst removing the deep themes, and messages that ensured their endurance throughout time.
The vocabulary is below pre-teen level, the grammar is sub-par, and the pacing and plotting absolutely abysmal.
How this book ever made it to print in this state is a large and curious mystery for me.
I cannot urge you to skip this book enough, Margaret George's 'Helen of Troy' is a far more valuable use of your time if you are in want of mythology inspired fantasy...and does so without annihilating the entire original stories.